Ambassador Shapiro: US was not behind anti-Israel UN resolution

US ambassador to Israel says US never colluded with PA to pass anti-Israel UN resolution.

Gary Willig, 29/12/16 20:23

Dan Shapiro

Flash 90

US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro addressed Israeli concerns regarding the US decision to allow an anti-Israel resolution to pass at the UN Security Council last week.

Speaking with Channel 10, Shapiro said: "We understand why it hurts Israelis to hear difficult things. The timing [of the resolution] was decided by other countries, and was not retaliation [against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu]."

Addressing allegations that the US colluded with the Palestinian Authority [PA] in order to pass last week's resolution, Shapiro said: "I have heard the evidence that the US was behind the resolution and I do not believe it. The document published in an Egyptian newspaper does not constitute proof of anything, the meeting between the US and the Palestinians identified in the document never occurred.We did not receive the decision not to veto until the final text of the draft resolution appeared in the Security Council."

According to Ambassador Shapiro, President Obama does not retaliate against perceived slights. "He does not take vengeance."

Shapiro admitted that there have been tensions between Netanyahu and the Obama Administration over the past eight years, but refused to elaborate furthur on the nature of those tension. "The fact is that there were disagreements between the US government and Israel. There were clashes. If I write a book about it, [then] you can read about it ".